Brian Rungano Temba
President Emmerson Mnangagwa today officiated the launch of the biography on first Chairman of ZANU-PF, the late Herbert Chitepo today at the National Art Gallery.
The book was authored by writer Elias Machemedze who made waves in 2013 through his novels Nherera Zvirange and Sarawoga.
The last author to write on Chitepo was a white woman who studied history at the University of Florida in America, Luis White. Her book’s title was The Assasination of Herbert Chitepo.
President Mnangagwa, hailed the book`s launch saying; “It is befiting that the organizers had a joint launch of both the Exhibition: Zimbabwe at 41 and the biography entitled – Herbert W. Chitepo, the life and legacy of Zimbabwe’s first black advocate and patriotic freedom fighter.”
Born Herbert Witshire Hamandishe Chitepo on June 5, 1923, Chitepo was a politician and lawyer. Chitepo established a private law firm in Salisbury.
He used his legal expertise to lobby for reforms on the Land Apportionment Act.
He was eventually admitted as an Advocate at the High Court in 1954. From around 1957, Chitepo became visibly pan-African as he defended Africans who were arrested for breaking laws such as the Land Apportionment Act.
Executive Director of the National Arts Gallery, Mr Raphael Chikukwa, led the Presidential party on a tour of the Gallery highlighting some of the works that were on exhibition. President Mnangagwa applauded the manner in which the exhibitions captured and detailed the various facts of the country’s rich history culture and heritage.
“The artistic depiction of aspects of our protracted liberation struggle, peace, unity and development that came out of it, are indeed moving and fascinating.The Exhibition: Zimbabwe at 41 demonstrates the immense transformative potential of the creative cultural sector to shape and influence discourse to the collective national good,” said President Mnangagwa.
Amongst some of the the exhibitions were sculptures, fine art paintings and a showcase of traditional dance by Guruve Marimba Arts Ensemble.
In his speech at the occasion, President Mnangagwa said that it was indeed critical to study the past so that we can better define the future.
“This occasion is part of the commemoration of our national Independence Day Anniversary.
As such we look back at the road traversed and the victories scored by our country through the lens of these exhibits,” said President Mnangagwa.
The art gallery is becoming a repository of historical stories, last year they hosted a similar event in which they immortalised the late General Josiah Tongogara.
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